Arthritis Care is now a certified member of The Information Standard

Arthritis Care is one of the first organisations to be certified as a quality provider of health and social care information by The Information Standard – a new certification scheme for health and social care information.

Arthritis Care has demonstrated they have the necessary processes and systems to ensure their information meets the rigorous quality criteria of The Information Standard.

The charity, which provides practical and emotional support to the UK’s nine million people with arthritis, has consequently been awarded The Information Standard quality mark, which they can display on their information materials as a mark of quality and reassurance for the public.  

The majority of the general public feels overwhelmed by the health and social care information available to them. The Information Standard was launched by the Department of Health as an initiative to give the public a quick way of identifying good quality health and social care information, and to drive up standards amongst producers.

Angela Coulter PhD, Hon FFPH, Hon FRCGP an independent healthcare analyst who advises on the scheme commented: ’Those organisations that are able to display The Information Standard mark will immediately be able to differentiate themselves from competitors, as producing high quality information that people can rely upon.

'The rigorous certification procedure will help to raise information production standards and inspire confidence in organisations that they are performing to the highest standards.’

Kate Llewelyn, head of information services at Arthritis Care, said of their accreditation: ’Providing the very best information about all aspects of living with arthritis has always been at the heart of what we do at Arthritis Care, so we’re really proud to be one of the first organisations in the country to receive this new certification.

’There is so much information about long-term conditions in the public domain, it’s difficult for people to know what they can trust. The Information Standard stamp will help the people who need information about their condition, know that what they’re getting from Arthritis Care is evidence-based, unbiased, accurate and, ultimately trustworthy.’   

There are more than 50,000 organisations producing health and social care information in England. Any of these can apply to join the scheme and become certified, whether they are a public sector organisation (NHS or local authority), a voluntary sector organisation, or a commercial company.

Find out more about The Information Standard